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OREGON CAVES NATIONAL MONUMENT and PRESERVE Draft Wild and Scenic River Study

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OREGON CAVES NATIONAL MONUMENT and PRESERVE Draft Wild and Scenic River Study OREGON CAVES NATIONAL MONUMENT AND PRESERVE Draft Wild and Scenic River Study Oregion Caves National Monument and Preserve 19000 Caves Hwy Cave Junction, OR 97523 Contact: Vicki Snitzler, Superintendent Prepared by: National Park Service Pacific West Region Park Planning and Environmental Compliance Partnerships/Wild and Scenic River Program Please refer to “How to Use This Document” to navigate through the chapters. To comment on this document, please refer to “How to Comment on This Document.” These sections can be found on the following pages. Lake Creek. Photo: NPS. LETTER FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT Greetings, Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is inviting public comment on the management plan and environmental assessment for the recently designated national preserve, as well as a wild and scenic river study. The legislation that created the 4,070 acre preserve was signed into law on December 19, 2014. This plan addresses management of roads, trails, commercial activities, hunting, hiking, use of pack animals, and backcountry camping, among other things. The preserve contains a campground, nearly 20 miles of gravel roads and 17 miles of trails. There is a federally listed threatened species (spotted owl) and a species of concern (fisher). The area contains a number of rare plants as well as areas that have Port Orford Cedar root rot disease which will need to be kept contained. The preserve planning process is happening at the same time as the wild and scenic river study authorized in the December 2014 legislation. The study examines whether five creek segments on the monument and preserve should be included in the national wild and scenic rivers system. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the NPS is announcing a 90-day public review period to solicit public comments on this planning project and study. We look forward to your involvement in our planning for the preserve and will ensure that your concerns and ideas are considered and evaluated. During this review period, the public is invited to identify any issues or concerns they might have with the preferred alternative, environmental analysis, and wild and scenic river study so that the NPS can appropriately consider them. Sincerely, Vicki Snitzler, Superintendent Port Orford cedar. Photo: NPS. HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT The Executive Summary at the beginning of the document provides a condensed version of the wild and scenic river study. Chapter 1: Introduction sets the stage for the wild and scenic river study by describing the study area within the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, the purpose of the wild and scenic study, background about the Wild and Scenic River System, and the planning process. Chapter 2: Draft Eligibility and Classification Findings includes the eligiblity criteria, free- flowing conditions, oustandingly remarkable values, classification criteria and preliminary classification findings. Chapter 3: Suitability Findingsdescribes the suitability criteria, suitability findings, management intent, and preliminary boundaries of the suitable sgements. The Appendices provide more detailed information related to the plan, pertinent legislation, a selected bibliography, a list of the preparers and consultants for the document, and the record of environmental compliance completed to date. All maps are placed within the text of the applicable chapters. The reader should rely on the text, maps, and tables taken together to fully understand the proposed findings described in this study. Shed Dragonfly Skin on Spatterdock. NPS photo. HOW TO COMMENT ON THIS DOCUMENT This Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve Wild and Scenic River Study has been distributed to agencies, interested organizations, and individuals for their review and comment. The comment period for this document will extend for 90 days. Announcements will occur as noted below. This document is available online at the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/orca. We prefer that readers submit comments using this website, which provides an online public comment form. Comments may also be made in person at one of the public meetings that will be conducted during the public review period. The specific dates and times for these meetings will be announced in the park website, in the study newsletter, and online at the above site. Additional written correspondence may be addressed to: Superintendent Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve 19000 Caves Hwy Cave Junction, OR 97523 Emails may be sent to [email protected] Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Falls at Upper Pond. NPS photo. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY STUDY SCOPE AND PURPOSE On December 19, 2014 through public law 113-291, Congress directed the National Park Service (NPS) to study five creeks in the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve (Park) for possible inclusion into the Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSR) system under Section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (WSRA). The creeks listed in the legislation are Lower Cave Creek (downstream of River Styx), Lake Creek, No Name Creek, Panther Creek, and Upper Cave Creek (upstream of River Styx). The NPS also studied Waterfelt Creek through Section 5(d)(1) of the WSRA. Below is a summary of the draft findings. DRAFT ELIGIBILITY FINDINGS The NPS found two of the creeks eligible for WSR designation based upon their free-flowing condition and presence of at least one outstandingly remarkable value (ORV). The eligible Lake Creek segment extends from its headwaters at Upper and Lower Bigelow Lakes to its confluence with Lower Cave Creek. The eligible Upper Cave Creek segment begins in the headwaters and extends to the boundary of the subterranean River Styx WSR. Both Lake Creek and Upper Cave Creek were found to contain an ecological ORV. Lake Creek was also found to contain a geological ORV. NPS found the other creeks, Lower Cave Creek, Panther Creek and its tributary Waterfelt Creek, and No Name Creek, to be ineligible. Draft Outstandingly Remarkable Values • Lake Creek’s ecological ORV is due to its majestic old growth riparian forests of Port Orford cedar and outstanding macroinvertebrate biodiversity. Lake Creek also contains a geologic ORV because of its rare combination of glacially carved lakes, karstic cave dissolved out of marble and granitic rock occurring together. • Upper Cave Creek’s ecological value is driven from its connectivity and formation of River Styx, an already designated WSR, and its hydrologic complexity. The stream’s main distinction is that it is one of the only known streams in the Klamath-Siskiyou region that is intermittent and at the same time disappears into a cave. PRELIMINARY CLASSIFICATION The WSRA provides for three possible classifications of eligible river segments: wild, scenic, and recreational. The criteria distinguishing these classifications are primarily based on the degree of human modification of the river and its adjacent shorelines. Based upon the applicable criteria, the best preliminary classifications for the segments in the park are as follows: Segment Classification Lake Creek recreational Upper Cave Creek scenic DRAFT SUITABILITY FINDINGS The suitability analysis was primarily based on the following factors: • The characteristics that make the river segments worthy of designation. • The ability of the NPS to manage the river segments to protect their ORVs, water-quality, and free-flowing character. • The compatibility of WSR designation with other potential uses of the river segments. • The public’s opinion on designation. WSR protection and management is compatible with the NPS management of the waterways, existing protections in place, and continued recreation use of the park. WSR designation would offer an additional layer of protection through Section 7 of the WSRA and provide opportunities to focus on river values and watershed protection. WSR designation would also offer recognition of the creeks as a special place bringing more attention to the river values of these headwater streams and their role in providing clean water downstream. The majority of the individuals and organizations, who provided input on WSR designation through the public meetings and comment period, responded that they were supportive of designation. Those who were not supportive were primarily concerned about potential reduction to recreation access and hunting opportunities. The NPS found that WSR designation is compatible with the existing recreation uses of the park and designation is not expected to change public access opportunities currently enjoyed in park. DRAFT CONCLUSION The NPS’s draft findings conclude both Lake Creek and Upper Cave Creek are eligible and suitable for WSR designation. Lupine Waterdrops. NPS photo. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................1 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND .....................................................................................................1
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